Crib and play pen unit



June 9, 1959 A. L. CARMAN 2,889,560

- CRIB AND PLAY PEN UNIT Filed May 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u INVENTOR.8/ I ALGA L. CARMAN BY FIG 2 mmwm ATTYS.

June 9, 1959 Filed May 28, 19 57 A. L. ICARMAN CRIB AND PLAY PEN UNITFIGS FIG.6

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALGA L. CARMAN ATTY'SR The present inventionrelates to a portable crib and play pen construction, and especially toan article of infant furniture adapted to have the supporting leg meansprovided therefor of vertically adjustable heights.

When a family has small children or babies, it is normally necessary forthe family to provide both a crib and a play pen for each child. Becauseof the fact that many families today live in relatively small homes withsmall floor space, it is desirable to provide a compact play pen andcrib unit that can be readily moved from place to place and serve asboth crib or play pen. Efforts have heretofore been made to providecombination crib and play pen structures. In a structure of this type,the article of furniture should provide relatively high positioning ofthe child when the article is to be used primarily as a crib. However,when the article of furniture is to be used as a play pen, normally itis desirable to place the child down near the level of the supportingfloor. It also should be realized that when the article of furniture isto be used as a crib, it is placed in a bedroom, whereas when thefurniture article is used as a play pen, it would be placed on a porch,or in the living room or other room other than the bedroom. Hence, it isvery desirable that such type of a unit be readily movable to and fromdifferent rooms in the house.

Many people like to confine the child or infant in a play pen type of astructure when travelling in a car. Hence, the unit of furniture of theinvention preferably should be designed so that it can be placed in acar and be operatively positioned therein.

The present invention has as a general object the provision of acombination crib-play pen unit characterized by the use of verticallyadjustable support legs in the structure and with such support legsbeing adapted to be locked in either extended or retracted positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide extensible support legs inan article of furniture in the class mentioned, which extensible legsare made from a minimum of parts and which can be safely moved betweentwo operative positions.

Yet a further object of the invention is to position a corner post in anarticle of furniture and a leg support in aligned, or operativerelationship, but with the support leg being readily slidablelongitudinally with relation to the corner post and being permanentlyretained aligned with the corner post.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a locking recess inthe outer surface of the support leg for engagement with a lockingwasher and an anchor stud member extending through a slot in the supportleg and secured to nut means carried by the corner post of the supportleg-corner post assembly.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will bemade more apparent as the specification proceeds.

In order to understand the present invention completely,

atent Q reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the combination portable crib-playpen unit of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the unit of Fig. 1 with the support legsbeing in their retracted positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3-3 ofFig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is an elevation view of a corner post-support leg assembly of theinvention separated from the remainder of the item of furniture;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partially broken away and shown in verticalsection, of the assembly of Fig. 4 when in its extended position;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the leg and comer post assembly ofFigs. 4 and 5 only with the support leg being in its retracted poistion;and

Fig. 7 is an exploded view showing the lock or engaging components forsecuring a support leg to a corner post.

When referring to corresponding parts of the article of the inventionshown in the drawings and referred to in the specification,corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

The present invention, in general, relates to a portable crib and playpen article of furniture and which comprises an enclosure structureincluding corner posts, side and end enclosure means connected to andextending between the corner posts to form an enclosure therewith, legshaving elongate slots therein extending longitudinally thereof, tappedanchor means carried by the corner posts, pin means secured to thecorner posts spaced from the anchor means and engaging the slots in thelegs, and thumbscrew means extending through the slots and engaging theanchor means and the legs for securing the legs to the corner posts, butpermitting relative longitudinal movement of the legs with relation tothe corner posts and being adapted to secure the legs in either of twoalternate relative positions on the corner posts.

Attention now is directed to the details of the construction shown inthe accompanying drawings, and a portable crib and play pen unit isindicated as a whole by the numeral 1. This unit includes an enclosurestructure made from a plurality of corner posts 2, and side enclosuremeans 3 are secured to and extend between pairs of the corner posts 2 toaid in providing an enclosure therewith, whereas end gates or enclosures4 are hingedly secured to the associated or opposite end pairs of thecorner posts 2 and extend therebetween for folding action, ashereinafter described. Conventional hinge members 5 may be securedbetween sections provided in the end gates 4 so that, if desired, theseend members can be folded upon themselves to aid in collapsing the criband play pen unit to a compact position for storage or for carryingpurposes.

Any suitable hinge means (not shown) can be used for securing the endmembers or gates 4 to the corner posts 2.

A suitable bottom closure or cover is provided in the crib and play penunit by, for example, a floor board 6 that usually is secured by hinges(not shown) to the side means 3 in the unit 1. Usually such floor board6 is formed in two sections to facilitate collapsing the crib and playpen unit 1 to a compact unit.

One of the side means 3a may be of reduced height in the unit 1 and ithas a top section 7 hingedly secured thereto. The top section 7 can beswung downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 to facilitate placingan infant in, or removing the infant from the unit 1.

As a feature of the invention, a plurality of legs 8are provided for thecrib and play pen unit 1. These legs 8 have longitudinally extendingslots 9 therein and are adapted to be secured to the corner posts 2 invertically adjustable relationship therebetween so as to provide araised operative position for such unit, or to lower the unit for otheruse, as desired. Some suitable type of an anchor member, usually atapped tubular anchor rivet or stud 10 is provided on each of the cornerposts 2 and preferably on the inner surface thereof. Such tubular anchorstud in all events is so positioned as to be accessible for engagementwith a bolt, thumbscrew, or other conventional belt or screw means, thatis used for clamping the legs to their associated corner posts. Each ofthe corner posts 2 also has a locater member, or pin 11 secured theretoand extending therefrom in spaced relationship to each of the anchormeans 10.

- .Figs 5 and 6 of the drawings best show that the slots 2 have sectionsin which they extend completely through the legs 8 and with the slotsnormally also having sections, or half slots 90, which extend onlyapproximately half way through the legs 8, for example, and are adaptedto receive the pins 11 therein when the corner posts 2 and legs 8 are intheir generally superimposed positions, as shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 5 through 7 of'the drawings best bring out that some suitable typeof bolt or screw means, such as a thumbscrew 12, is provided forextending through the slots 9 in the legs for clamping the legs to thecorner posts 2 by engaging the anchor means 10 therein.

As an important feature of the present invention, each of the legs 8 hasat least a pair of annular upper and lower recesses l3 and 14,respectively, provided therein usually immediately adjacent the verticalmargins of the sections of the slots 9 that extend completely throughsuch legs. These annular recesses 13 and 14 are adapted to receive alock washer therein to provide a good bearing engagement between thethumbscrew 12 and the leg 8, and also to aid in locking the legs 8 in agiven position. Thus the lock washer 15 seats in one of the annularrecesses 13 or 14 so that the thumbscrew 12 can extend through the slot9 for engaging the anchor means 10. It is a feature of the inventionthat the pins 11 and the thumbscrews 12, or equivalent means used in theinvention, are engaged with vertically spaced portions of the cornerposts and legs 8 to maintain a fixed load carrying relationship betweensuch members and to aid in holding them in axial alignment.

Preferably each of the thumbscrews 12 carries a coil spring 16 thereonand this constantly urges a washer 15 to its outermost position. Hence,as a person loosens any one of the thumbscrews 12, the associated spring16 will urge the washer 15 outwardly to lift it from the seat in therecess 13 or 14 and facilitate releasing of the legs 8 for verticalmovement to a desired new position. It will be realized that any numberof vertical positions can be provided at which the legs 8 can be lockedin engagement with the corner posts 2.

Fig. 7 of the drawings clearly shows that the anchor means or studs 10can be completely embedded within the corner posts 2 to provide asmooth, attractive connection and finished appearance in the unit 1 ofthe invention. Normally the springs 16 urge the washers 15 out againstthe head or wing portion of the thumbscrews 12.

Any suitable support member, such as a caster 18, can be provided forlegs 8 so that such unit can be readily rolled around on the supportfloor, but other conventional support means may be provided, if desired.

Any conventional lock means may be used on the end members of the cribto retain them in opened, operative positions.

As another feature of the invention, washable, smooth surfaced plasticcover strips 17 can be provided for the top portions of the side and endmeans of the unit 1. Such plastic strips usually have inwardly extendingedge flanges 17a that are received in complementary shaped slotsprovided in the side and end means of the unit 1. In all events, aneasily washable, attractive ql ter surface is provided for the topportion of the unit 1 and this aids in obtaining a long service lifefrom the unit 1 while maintaining it of attractive appearance.

The pins 11 are of slightly smaller diameters than the width of theslots 9 to retain the legs against lateral movement. The recesses 13 and14 preferably are formed at the ends of the slots 9 so that thethumbscrews 12 may abut on the ends of the main slot sections and aid inholding the legs 8 in given positions. The pins 11 may also abut on thelower ends of the half slots 9a in the lowered leg portions.

The legs 8 can be easily raised and lowered to operative positions, asdesired, by means of only one lock member in each leg and yet a sturdy,safe crib and play pen unit has been provided. Note that the unit 1 ofthe invention can be used in a car, be readily transported, can bestored easily and have other useful features so that the objects of theinvention have been achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable crib and play pen comprising an enclosure structureincluding corner posts, side and end enclosure means connected to andextending between said corner posts to form an enclosure therewith,bottom closure means operatively secured to said enclosure structure,legs having elongate slots therein extending longitudinally thereof, atapped anchor member carried by each of said corner posts, pin meanssecured to said corner posts spaced from and below said anchor memberand engaging said slots in said legs, screw means extending through saidslots and engaging said anchor member and said legs to secure said legsto said corner posts, a lock washer carried by each of said screw means,and a spring engaged with each of said screw means and compressedbetween a said corner post and a said lock washer to urge said lockwasher towards the head of such screw means, each of said legs having anarcuate recess of more than degrees in extent in the exposed surface ofeach of said legs at the upper end of each of said slots for receiving asaid washer to lock said legs to said corner posts in fixed relativepositions by tightening said screw means, said spring urging said washerout of said recess, said corner posts each having a said leg positionedin overlapped aligned relation therewith and being retained in suchrelative positions by a single one of said screw means and a single oneof said pin means engaged with a said slot in a said leg, each of saidlegs being movable relative to the one of said corner posts on which itis positioned only by loosening a said screw means and releasing a saidlock washer from a said arcuate recess in which it is received whereby asaid leg then can be slid along its corner post.

2. A portable crib and play pen comprising an enclosure structureincluding corner posts, side end end enclosure means connected to andextending between said corner posts to form an enclosure therewith,bottom closure means operatively secured to said enclosure structure,legs having elongate slots therein extending longitudinally thereof, atapped anchor member carried by each of said corner posts, pin meanssecured to said corner posts spaced from and below said anchor memberand engaging said slots in said legs, screw means extending through saidslots and engaging said anchor member and said legs to secure said legsto said corner posts, a lock washer carried by each of said screw means,and a spring engaged with each of said screw means and compressedbetween a said corner post and a said lock washer to urge said lockwasher towards the head of such screw means, each of said legs having anannular recess in the exposed surface of each of said legs at the endsof and intersecting each of said slots for receiving a said washer tolock said legs to said corner posts in fixed relative positions bytightening said screw means, said spring urging said washer out of saidrecess, said corner posts each having a said leg positioned inoverlapped aligned relation therewith and being retained in suchrelative positions by a single one of said screw means and a single oneof said pin means engaged with a said slot in a said leg, each of saidlegs being movable relative to the one of said corner posts only byloosening a said screw means and releasing a said lock Washer from asaid arcuate recess in which it is received whereby a said leg then canbe slid along its corner post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS445,951 Hine Feb. 3, 1891 McMaster June 6, 1882 1 6 Walker Apr. 12, 1892Perry Oct. 25, 1892 Wood Aug. 9, 1898 Brunton Jan. 21, 1913 Hoogner Nov.18, 1924 Kroll May 2, 1933 Overpeck Aug. 23, 1938 Bohlen July 1, 1941Klazkin Nov. 28, 1950 Webb Aug. 14,1951 Graf Nov. 13, 1951 Ball May 25,1954 Derby Dec. 6, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 28, 1919Great Britain July 6, 1922

